New
Mexico Distinguished Public Service Awards 2008Recognizing Those Committed to Making a Difference

Fred R. Lujan

Fred R. Lujan is a native of the Pueblo of Isleta. He
began his career in public service over 40 years ago
serving in the Vietnam War for four years. After he
returned home he served with the Bureau of Indian
Affairs at the Northern Pueblos Agency in Santa Fe
serving the housing needs of the Eight Northern
Pueblo Tribes.

He then went to the US Department of Housing
and Urban Development directing Indian Housing
Management in New Mexico,Arizonaand the entire Navajo Nation. He
also served the All Indian Pueblo Council as a Facilities Planner for the
organization which is the political arm of all 19 Pueblo Tribes of New
Mexico.
He went on to the Southern Pueblos Agency in
Albuquerque
to serve as
Assistant Superintendent for the Agency that provides services to the ten
Southern Pueblos Tribes. He was responsible for assuring Federal trust
services to these tribes in the areas of law enforcement, Social Services, Trust
and Natural Resources Services, Forestry, Realty, Tribal Operations, Housing
and Roads.

Later he became Superintendent of the Mescalero Apache Agency. And then
later was promoted to Assistant Area Director for the Albuquerque Area of
the BIA. And retired as Superintendent of the Southern Pueblos Agency after
32 years of Federal service.
Then in 1997 he was elected as Governor of the Pueblo of Isleta for a two
year term. He has also served in an advisory capacity to the New Mexico
State Fair, as a board member of New Mexico First, and as a consultant on
Indian affairs to
Ysleta del Sur Pueblo
in
El
Paso
.

He was later elected back in Isleta Pueblo to the Tribal Council. After this he
was appointed to serve as Commissioner on the New Mexico Water Quality
Control Commission. And then back again to the Isleta Pueblo Tribal
Council. He was also appointed by traditional leaders of the Pueblo to serve
in a traditional capacity as War Captian and continues to serve as a lifelong
traditional leader in the pueblo.